National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) league director Micah Ariel-Roher hosted an information session about the youth mountain biking organization at GoodSpeed Cycles in Homewood on Friday, April 17.
NICA offers organized and competitive mountain biking for 5th through 12th graders. NICA recently started an Illinois league and is having its first season this year.
“We’re the 35th NICA league,” Ariel-Roher said, referring to the Illinois NICA league. “We’re the 34th state. Australia is not a state. It makes the ‘National’ in NICA a little complicated, but they’re doing it.”
Mountain biking is off-road cycling on trails, hills and in parks. The sport can involve racing, tricks or simply riding through the terrain.
GoodSpeed was one of about 10 similar stops that NICA representatives have made to inform the public about the organization, Ariel-Roher said. The event featured a speech, a slideshow, and a question-and-answer session with the audience.
“We’re doing youth sports that have no selections and no sidelines. There’s no bench. There’s no tryout. Everybody rides,” Ariel-Roher said, explaining NICA’s philosophy of equity and inclusivity. “Nobody gets kicked out on their 18th birthday. And if you have a young fifth grader, it’s also totally fine.”
Ariel-Roher’s said coaches can “change lives,” adding that a NICA coach doesn’t need to be a skilled mountain biker to be effective.
“An overwhelming percentage of the kids that participate in NICA say that they had a really important conversation with one of their coaches that had nothing to do with bikes,” Ariel-Roher said.
Ariel-Roher said NICA enables kids to be part of a community. While adults are always present at NICA events, he said that older kids sometimes mentor younger kids.
“You would think that a fifth grader and a high school senior wouldn’t really have a lot in common and wouldn’t be able to interact, but we know that they can,” Ariel-Roher said. “They’re both people. They’re into bikes.”
About 20 community members attended the event, including parents and kids in Homewood and Flossmoor and GoodSpeed customers from nearby communities.
Glenwood resident Clay Walace attended with his son, whom he said hopes can be part of NICA.
“I ride bikes already, and he goes with me some,” Walace said. “Maybe he can learn some skills. And maybe this can be something we do together.”
Ariel-Roher and Goodspeed owner Graham Bolkema expressed excitement about the possibility of a NICA team for residents of Homewood, Flossmoor and nearby communities.
“We want to start a NICA team to build off the cycling programs that are in Homewood schools,” Bolkema said. “This seems like the next step of cycling opportunity that we can implement.”
If a community member is interested in becoming a NICA coach or parent, they can sign up for the Illinois NICA newsletter at Illinoismtb.org or submit a NICA participation interest form.
If a community member wants to stay informed about a possible Homewood-Flossmoor NICA team, they can sign up for GoodSpeed’s newsletter at GoodSpeedCycles.com.
